1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of drywall corner trim and more particularly to a fiber polymer trim.
2. Description of the Art
Various types of drywall corner trim finishing materials are available for use today and are well known in the art. Some have been around for many years. The simplest of these materials is the metal bead. This is a completely metal bead that is formed such that it can be mechanically screwed, nailed, stapled, crimped or otherwise mechanically attached to the wall and enough joint compound is used to cover the attaching hardware and blend it into a smooth transition to the flat wall. Another type of metal material is paper faced metal. The paper on this material aids in bonding mud, texture and paint to the finished corner. This material may be intended to be mudded onto the corner without using screws but it is subject to the same problems as metal bead. The metal material of this product does not bond with mud and is easily damaged by moderate impacts or even slight frame shifting both of which cause denting, cracks and delimitation along the corner.
Another family of products are vinyl or other plastic pieces that are sometimes covered with paper. These products are subject to the same problems as metal beads because, like metal, they do not take coatings well. Mud, texture and paints do not adhere to the surface of these materials. They do not dent like metal, but when impacted the mud, texture and paints will flake off the surface because of a poor bond. As stated, paper layers are sometimes added to the construction, as with metal, to try to improve on these problems.
Finally, there is a paper, polymer, paper lamination product family. These products are the highest quality of their type and functionally have the best characteristics. They are rigid yet flexible and impact resistant. They bond very well with joint compound forming a structural corner. The outer and inner layers are covered with fibrous materials, usually paper, that bond very well with mud, textures, paints and the like. They can also be shaped and tapered and generally require very little mud to finish out
However, what is badly needed is a corner trim product line made from a material that is rigid like metal and impact resistant like plastic, while also being abrasion resistant. It should have all the beneficial surface properties of a fiber layer that will bond well with common joint compounds, textures, paints or other coatings common in the industry and form a structural bond to the sheet rock. It should be able to be mudded, glued or nailed, screwed or stapled to any corner during installation.